El divino Ned

This is a beautiful little film, touching on the universal themes of friendship, and the corrupting power of money and greed. It was a sleeper back when it was released, but got very good word of mouth. Sure it's sentimental and plays somewhat on stereotypes (I'm assuming, as I've never actually spent any time in a small Irish village), but the cast includes many great Irish and British character actors (especially the late Ian Bannen), and it's funny, well directed, beautifully shot, joyous and ultimately life-affirming. I've seen it with several friends, and they all dug it. The music is also very enjoyable, especially the last song, "The Parting Glass".

I simply love this movie. Every time we have guests staying overnight or for a few days, I always drag this movie out. It has never hit mainstream America. Too bad! It's funny and it's touching...the two necessary elements to make a memorable movie. You would have to be angry cynic not to love it. The music is superb as well. The character Michael O'Sullivan reminds me of the father of one my best friends growing up. The scene where Michael and Jackie come to prepare Ned Devine is as hilarious as the funeral scene is sweet when Jackie eulogizes his friend Michael O'Sullivan, who is sitting in the front row of the church. Only then do you grasp how these two have been friends since childhood.

Only in Ireland! The backdrop of a small village in Ireland sets the stage for an interesting comedy about a winning lottery ticket and the dead guy it belongs to. Waking Ned Devine is about the waking up of a small village that has been fast asleep since the start. The side stories of love, friendship and greed do not fall short. They in fact add to the greatness of this comedy. A delight for the entire family, even the quick scenes of a 70 year old naked man on a motor cycle comes out to be nothing more than good clean fun. An original idea made into a terrific movie. An enjoyable story with wonderful and like-able characters. A hit!

This is one of my all-time favorite movies, complete with belly-laughs galore! I've always been a fan of off-beat, less-than-commercial stuff that doesn't rely upon the standard comedy formulas-- there's no run-of-the-mill, cheap stereotype stuff; they don't do repetitive physical humor that gets one laugh for every ten tries; and the shallow, vulgar humor to which so many of us Americans have become accustomed is nowhere to be found. Waking Ned Devine caught me from the get-go, with the opening scene with the lottery and apple tart being my all-time favorite in movie history. The wry, offbeat, and somewhat dark humor is good stuff in my book, though I guess (from the looks of a previous review) it's not quite for everyone. It's been a while since I last saw the movie, but I still remember the pigs, intestines, the mad dash on the moped, Ned's dentures, mexican crisps, and the sea-bound telephone booth like I watched it yesterday! Then there's the funeral service, the wake, and the beautiful closing scenes, all of which add some good, clean emotion to the humor. I think I'll watch it again very soon!

An afternoon tea on a warm summer day is still seen by some people as an enjoyable way to rid oneself of the tensions of the day and to allow oneself to slow down and feel at ease. Waking Ned is a sort of afternoon tea for cinemagoers. Nothing really bad happens. There are no really tense moments, or serious threats to life or liberty, for the mostly likeable but roguish characters. That's what makes the film so appealing!!

There are maybe two characters that quickly lose the audiences sympathy and both get their comeuppance in different ways. One, a truly "nasty piece of work", is reminiscent of the wicked witch from The Wizard of Oz ( the parallel should be readily evident to the viewer). This character meets her demise in the most hilarious manner possible for a likeable film such as this.

On the whole Waking Ned is a refreshing film that is "Feel Good" all the way through without laying on thick layers of mush. No need for the hankies folks but there's plenty of room to toast the villagers' of Tully Moor!!